2024-12-31-accounts

Annual Report 2024 A year of Ambition and Hope

Registered charity number: 1149988

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Through your innovative approach, we have seen that “there is action, there is enterprise and lives are transformed”.

His Royal Majesty Naa Puowele Karbo III, Paramount Chief and VP Ministry of Chieftaincy

Ambition and Hope since 2012 ...........................p3 Message from the Chair of Trustees ..................p4 In numbers ...............................................................p5 Nandom: Ambition and Hope .............................p6 Lawra: Driving excellence ....................................p8 ATE in 2024 ...............................................................p10 Education ..................................................................p12 Disability and inclusion ........................................p14 Enterprise .................................................................p16 Apprenticeships ......................................................p18 Growing the team ...................................................p20 Being heard ..............................................................p22 Being recognised ....................................................p23 Fundraising ..............................................................p24 Financial summary ................................................p25 Future plans .............................................................p26

Cover image: Matilda, apprentice seamstress from Bagri Hub Left: Mercy, seamstress and business owner, first supported in 2019

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50,038

~~Action Through Enterprise: Ambition and Hope since 2012~~

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Ambition and Hope since 2012
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2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028
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Lives touched by Action Through Enterprise

Action Through Enterprise is transforming the lives of thousands of people in one of the poorest and most remote parts of Ghana. We work with communities in the Upper West, opening the door to opportunity, even for the most marginalised.

Work on education, enterprise and inclusion enables us to tackle people’s complex needs, each project strengthening the others. Impact ripples through families, villages and districts - and down through generations.

Municipal, we expanded to neighbouring Nandom, where people are also hungry for change.

Replicating our unique Hub Model, we’re working through village hubs to bring ambition and hope to a new community, creating cost-effective, long-term change.

This year has been one of the most important in our twelve-year history. Having reached an incredible 37% of the population of Lawra

I have hope because Action Through Enterprise is making a real difference through building strong, sustainable local partnerships.

Lord Boateng

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~~Message from the Chair of Trustees~~

2024 has been truly transformative, with our successful expansion to a new district. This is the first time we have replicated our model outside Lawra Municipal, building on everything we achieved and learnt there since 2012. It means we can now tackle poverty and create opportunities for the people of Nandom, just to the north – and after a few months, we’re already making a difference.

None of this would be possible without the incredible vision of our founder and Chief Executive, Sarah, the support of the trustees and, more importantly, the incredible work our team is doing on the ground - and YOUR continued support and trust in our mission!

I am happy to pass the baton to my fellow trustee, Asif Noorani, who has been a dedicated supporter of ATE for many years. Over to you Asif, I have no doubt that under your chairmanship, ATE will continue to flourish.

I am full of pride and honour for having been part of Action Through Enterprise’s journey. This is, however, my last message as I have decided to step down as Chair of Trustees now the charity’s growth and ambitions require someone who has more time to support the team than I, sadly, am able to offer.

Thank you, for all your invaluable support in 2024! Stay tuned … 2025 promises to be an incredible year for Action Through Enterprise!

Nathalie Burdet, Chair of Trustees

Every day, we see the difference we are making – the girl who can go to school, the seamstress having a good income, the disabled child who laughs and plays. I am so proud to see our hard work in Lawra now reaching the people of Nandom, and giving everyone a brighter future.

Ambition and Hope – these were our promises for 2024, and we have delivered on both! It’s been a year of passionate yet strategic growth, as we’ve stepped beyond Lawra to begin delivering transformational change in Nandom – all led by my inspiring Ghanaian colleagues, working in their own communities.

I am so grateful for every life we improve, for all the small things we do. And I’m unbelievably proud of the big picture, of the communities we have transformed – and that we’ve now reached 21,000 people in Upper West Ghana.

Thank you so much to everyone who makes it all possible. Together, we are changing the world.

Sarah Annable-Gardner Chief Executive

Kaamil Issahaku, Lawra and Nandom District Manager

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~~Action Through Enterprise: in numbers~~

3,506 children in schools

children across eleven schools provided with free school meals, educational materials and sanitary products to support their education.

140

small businesses

supported with grants, training and mentorship, allowing them to build sustainable enterprises in weaving, carpentry, hairdressing etc.

748 disabled children & carers

lives transformed through advocacy, healthcare and lots of love and laughter.

1.72 million school meals

nutritious school meals enjoyed by children in Lawra, allowing them to focus on their studies and improve their exam results.

91 dry season farmers

farmers on 29 farms supported to grow crops during the dry season when food is scarce, breaking the cycle of hunger.

106 disabled children in school

historic milestone, giving all children the chance of education and challenging prejudice around disability.

18% higher exam pass rates

our partner schools consistently beat the district average in BECE (GCSE equivalent) exams.

62 apprentices

young women – including nine with disabilities – provided with apprenticeships to gain lifelong vocational skills.

37% of Lawra population

with six village hubs in Lawra, our work around education, enterprise and inclusion is touching more lives than ever.

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~~Nandom: Ambition and Hope~~

After twelve years of delivering transformational change in Lawra, Action Through Enterprise has expanded to a new district – and is replicating our successful Hub Model in neighbouring Nandom. We spent over a year building relationships – and building an Inclusion Centre – and launched in September 2024. Ambition and Hope have officially arrived in Nandom …

Like Lawra, Nandom is impoverished, vulnerable and often forgotten. One of the furthest districts from Ghana’s capital, Accra, and on the border with volatile Burkina Faso, it can feel cut off from the outside world. Eighty per cent survive on subsistence farming, many are locked into a cycle of poverty they may never escape. Multi-dimensional poverty is at 45% intensity and in the bottom third of Ghana districts.

It doesn’t need to be like this.

People in Nandom are hungry for change. Almost 300 people attended a community meeting in Ko - where some villages have 60% incidence of multi-dimensional poverty - which is why we chose it to be our first rural hub.

I am from Nandom, and I know youth here have great zeal and entrepreneurial skills, but need support. The same for women who want to run businesses. ATE can help. I am much proud to be the first Hub Manager in Nandom and dedicate myself towards a brighter future.

Chrisantus Dery, Nandom’s first Hub Manager

This is just the start. As we will roll out our model across the whole district, we estimate reaching another 10,000 people in the next two years.

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~~Nandom Inclusion Centre~~

We’ve had a busy year in Nandom.

The work at ATE is wonderful and the SNAP families are so happy for our support. I love ATE because they help in reducing poverty and for that reason I will work hard to continue to put smiles on the faces of the less privileged children in the communities.

Nyuurbome Rosemond, SNAP Coordinator

The Municipal Authority gifted us a derelict building in Nandom Town, which we have refurbished as a wonderful Inclusion Centre with space for workshops, learning/children’s area, computer suite and offices. Furniture was made by local businesses and murals painted by a local artist. We welcomed Christantus Dery as the first Nandom Hub Manager, and Nyuurbome Rosemond joined to lead the disability inclusion project, SNAP.

In September, Rosemond - with the support of the Lawra SNAP team - launched Nandom Town SNAP group. Over 100 disabled children and carers attended the first meeting, following extensive outreach work through churches, local chiefs and home visits to spread the word. After just a few months, children and their carers are already feeling the difference - and there are plans to launch Ko SNAP in early 2025.

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ATE has really helped me and Margaret because she can now play on her own and clap her hands - she always hear SNAP parents clapping their hands in meetings! As a mother, I have learned certain activities that will enable me take good care of my child

Dora yaa – mother of Margaret, Nandom

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~~First Nandom school...~~

In Nandom, attendance at some schools is under 30%. Pupils are malnourished, classrooms in disrepair - some have NO textbooks. The exam pass rate is just 18.6% - less than half that achieved by our partner schools in Lawra. Change can’t come soon enough …

We visited six schools in Ko before we selecting Tuopare Junior High as our first Nandom partner school.

A motivated headteacher and vibrant PTA were crucial, and soon parents were leaping into action to build the school kitchen. Lunch will be served from January 2025, giving Tuopare’s 82 pupils a nutritious meal and a reason to stay in school all day long.

Building this new relationship has been invaluable, giving us the opportunity to examine and revise our education programme. An improved memorandum of understanding signed with Tuopare JHS, along with community leaders and Ghana Education Service, will now be rolled out across Lawra schools, who will be required to confirm their support of the programme and our core values, every year.

Tuopare Junior High School is the first in the entire municipality chosen for this programme, out of over 80 schools. We are truly grateful to ATE and its donors for this incredible opportunity. This initiative will not only nourish our students but also foster better academic performance, especially in our BECE exam results.

Augustin Dery, Headteacher, Tuopare JHS

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Parents of Tuopare JHS students building the new school kitchen

~~Lawra: driving excellence, powering growth~~

We are proud to announce that our work is now reaching at least 37% of the population of Lawra. Since we launched in 2012, we have relentlessly tackled poverty and created new opportunities, our projects touching the lives of over 21,000 people.

In 2024, our brilliant Lawra team ran six flourishing hubs, worked with eleven schools, supported 600 disabled children and carers, ran nine training sessions for small businesses, oversaw 39 apprentices and began planning for a new Technology and Learning Zone in the Inclusion Centre.

They’ve done all this alongside pioneering our move to Nandom, where they have developed new relationships, gathered detailed baseline data and managed the building of the Nandom Inclusion Centre.

Expertise from Lawra drove the expansion to Nandom – and that expansion also fed back into Lawra as team members rose to the challenge of recruiting, training and supporting the first Nandom staff.

With plans to begin baseline work in a third district in 2026, the Lawra team will be at the forefront of Action Through Enterprise’s mission to spread Ambition and Hope across the whole of the Upper West.

The team has grown beautifully, and we’re so proud of our work in Lawra, and training the new team in Nandom. I am also proud of myself, and ATE for pushing a woman like me through the leadership ladder. It’s a great opportunity for me, and will inspire many young girls. ATE’s impact is overwhelming.

Charity Kyekpo, Deputy Lawra Manager

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~~2024: a year of Ambition and Hope~~

1. Hello Nandom!

For the first time, we’ve launched in a whole new district. The need is urgent – Nandom is one of the poorest areas in Ghana and school attendance and exam grades are alarmingly low. After building relationships and a new Inclusion Centre, we launched ATE Nandom in September with new staff and a disability group meeting which attracted over a hundred people.

2. 106 disabled children in school

We hit a huge milestone this year, when the tally of children from our SNAP disability group attending school passed the big 100! Sterling work from the team of Ernestina Gan, Esther Bekah and Helen Gala, who got the children school-ready – and advocated for them with parents and schools.

3. Power to the people

Listening to the community is at the heart of everything we do – and last year we held several lively local meetings across the whole of Lawra, attended by 500 people. Run by hub managers, the meetings are a chance for people to feed back on current projects and suggest priorities for the future.

4. Lording it up!

I witnessed the incredible work of Action Through Enterprise - and saw real change with my own eyes. The bang for your buck is just immense. The return on invested capital, if you’re an investment man like me, is just enormous.

Tim Eliot-Cohen, MD Close Brothers Asset Management

We launched our Ambition and Hope Campaign with a reception at the House of Lords in March, hosted by Lord Austin. It was wonderful to hear former Hub Manager Julius Maaire address the crowd whilst wearing a smock made by a Lawra apprentice. Other speakers were Andrew Mitchell MP, (then International Development Minister) and former diplomat and longstanding supporter Sir John Sawers.

5. We’re honoured to receive...

We don’t do it for the recognition, but we love it when it comes! This year we’ve been recognised far and wide – from the Lawra Traditional Chief to the Rotary Club. Every citation and award is for the whole team, who deliver day after day with kindness, passion and professionalism.

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, e Se 6. Lawra and Nandom: The Movie

It was lights, camera, action in September when Asif Noorani and Graham Tilley arrived with Tim EliotCohen to make a film for the big fundraiser Tim’s hosting in May 2025. The film will be shown before a live auction, aimed at raising significant funds for our work.

8. A little star

Two-year-old Evans lives with pain every day, and in 2024 became so severely malnourished we feared he may die. As a small charity, we can act quickly, and funded the in-patient care, pain medication and nutrient-rich food he needed, and we are delighted to announce that he is now thriving!

9. Best Big Give ever!

Dapilah Lucy fronted our Christmas Big Give campaign, with a message about how we’re transforming lives - one village, one Lucy at a time. Thank you to pledgers, donors and Gift Aid for helping us raise an amazing £21,694. Next year, can we break another record?

10. Get in the zone!

Plans are afoot to launch Technology and Learning Zones in both Inclusion Centres in early 2025, enabling young people to access computers and enjoy books after school and on Saturday mornings. The Zones will be connected to the internet – a game-changer for the whole community.

7. Build it and they will come

After extensive research, we picked Tuopare Junior High school to be our first partner school, and preparation is underway for a January launch. Parents are building the new kitchen, while the team focus on gathering baseline data, so we’ll just how much difference our work is making.

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~~Education: getting results, boosting a generation~~

Education is free in Ghana, but many children simply don’t go to school because they are too hungry or are working on the family land. Some go south, in search of money. Our education programme is breaking this cycle and giving young people the chance to dream …

When children are able to learn on full stomachs, ambition and hope can follow. In 2024, we gave over 800 students that possibility, providing 150,000 meals, 13,522 individual educational items and 5000 packets of sanitary pads. And the results are already showing.

Enrolment was up by 12%, with some schools recording 100% attendance. Exam results announced this year present a positive story: the pass rate for BECE (GCSE equivalent) at our schools was 18.4% higher than the Lawra average.

We’re now into our second year of partnering with Kunyukuo Junior School in Tanchara, where enrolment has gone up by a wonderful 39%. Headteacher George Yasameh said: “I have ambition for the students, now they get a lunch they are able to learn very well.”

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For girls, the opportunity to stay in education goes hand in hand with avoiding teenage pregnancy and marriage. In the last twelve years, we have given over 1800 young women this opportunity.

Lucy was one of them – and she has become one of our biggest success stories.

In 2017, she was one of just twelve students at Biro Junior High School (JHS) – and they were all hungry. We began providing school meals, educational materials and sanitary pads, enabling Lucy and her classmates to stay in school.

Three years ago, we offered Lucy, along with 29 other girls, the chance to attend senior high school (SHS) - something her parents could never have afforded. “I feel like continuing,” she said, “because they always give us what we need, as a girl.”

This year, with ATE’s backing, Lucy began university - the first person from Biro to ever attend. Judging from what her sister Betty told us, she won’t be the last: “Girls usually drop out and get married, but with the support, Lucy’s in the university. Myself and other girls take motivation from that. Our parents and the rest of the community now think it’s possible for their daughters to be educated too.”

Lucy represents everything Action Through Enterprise stands for. From hungry schoolgirl to thriving university student, Lucy’s story shows that with the right support and personal determination, great things can be achieved.

Sarah Annable-Gardner, Chief Executive

I have the plan to come back to Biro, to become a midwife and help my people. Women can’t easily get to hospital to deliver, and some lose their babies. It really pains me. If I become a midwife I will be able to save people’s lives - and I’ll be a role model as well.

Dapilah Lucy, university student

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Inclusion:
lives changed,
stigma challenged
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If anything encapsulates Ambition and Hope, it’s our inclusion programme, SNAP. In 2024, we’ve broken down barriers in so many ways, with a new SNAP disability group successfully launched in Nandom and a historic milestone being hit in Lawra - 100 disabled children are now attending school.

In 2024, we:

Life for disabled children and their carers in ultra

Held 76 meetings across seven hubs, with an average 271 people attending every month. The total number of members is 748, up 27% from last year.

Provided 396 health insurance renewals, ensuring families can access basic healthcare, along with regular epilepsy medication for 35 families.

rural Upper West Ghana is tough. Alongside chronic poverty, families also face horrific abuse and stigma. Mothers are advised to abandon their children. They can face violence and isolation. As a result, children often don’t get the care and love they need to thrive.

Action Through Enterprise has changed that. Our groundbreaking inclusion programme has transformed the lives of hundreds of disabled children - providing them with essential medication and equipment, enabling them to develop through play and learning, and empowering their carers with monthly support meetings and on-going advocacy.

Enabled 106 disabled

Carried out 181

Carried out 181 children to access home visits, 78 health either mainstream or and welfare visits, 53 special school, providing play scheme sessions uniforms, shoes and and 61 special books, as well as education visits. advocacy and support.

The stigma, it is almost done away with. They are able to embrace any other child that is coming especially to the school or within the community. They have seen that every human being is important, everybody can be productive, everybody has his or her abilities, though God has created us differently.

John Bosco, headteacher and community leader in Dowine. SNAP has been running there since 2016

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ATE’s commitment to my education has made the impossible possible. This semester has been unforgettable, filled with renewed purpose and opportunity. I no longer struggle with depression and loneliness, thanks to the social connections I’ve made. As I look to the future, I’m reminded that education is a powerful tool for change.

Paul, senior high school student and wheelchair user

When SNAP began in 2012, none of the children were in education. In 2024, we made a bit of history – with 100 children enrolled in and attending mainstream or special school in Lawra.

Our team worked tirelessly to get those hundred school-ready, with uniforms, medication and pastoral work around issues like cleanliness. Extensive advocacy with teachers and parents - who may not have believed the children could succeed at school - ensured adults gave the children the right help and schools became accessible.

Now my child is in education, he has gained basic knowledge, improved his communication skills through sign language and changed the negative beliefs about children with disabilities. He has learnt to build relationships and play with others. Being in school has shown how capable and valuable he is.

Tatiefaa, mother of Naawmaalme, who attends a school for deaf children

With 100 disabled children now at school in Lawra, our next challenge is to keep them there – and get the first 100 into school in Nandom.

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~~Enterprise: challenging poverty by creating real opportunities for entrepreneurs and farmers~~

Lawra is one of the poorest districts in the whole of Ghana – and one of the main causes is lack of employment. Our enterprise programme is changing that, giving hard-working people the skills, funding and support they need to build thriving businesses and farms.

This year, we trained and mentored the fifteen entrepreneurs who received grants in 2022/23 and awarded grants to five new dry season farmers and one small business owner.

Our team ran nine training sessions in the local Dagaare language - described by one attendee as ‘eye opening’. Topics included budgeting, marketing, negotiating and IT, giving entrepreneurs the skills and knowledge to make their businesses successful and sustainable. It’s paying off. The all-female group we granted in 2023 are showing an average 50% growth in profits.

Feedback from business owners is that this growth brings life-changing improvements for their whole family - across health, nutrition and financial stability - and for the community as whole, as they take on apprentices, provide vital services and grow precious food.

As a widow, I used to cry every night, thinking about how to provide for my children as a single parent, how to get money and farm during the farming season. Thanks to ATE, their grant has helped my business to grow, my skills have improved, and I now make some profit to support me and my children’s needs.

Charity, hairdresser, Kalsagri Hub

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Justine works his land around Tanchara dam, where he grows onions, tomatoes and chillies – he joined the Dry Season Farming programme in December

ATE’s training workshops have transformed my farming. I’ve improved crop yields, introduced new crop varieties and gained more customers. I’ve expanded my farm and protected it from destruction by animals. This has given me peace of mind and increased my productivity. I’ve been able to build a house for my family, and it’s something I’m very proud of. ATE’s support is not just about farming, it’s about changing lives.

Uhuu Delle, Dry Season Farmer, Bagri Hub

We introduced support for dry season farmers in 2016, as a result of community feedback – and it’s fast becoming one of our most important programmes. Addressing multiple challenges, such as food insecurity, climate change, employment and migration, we are prioritising dry season farming with a significant investment in new equipment.

With plans to support dry season farming in Nandom, as well as expand our coverage in Lawra, we have reviewed the programme and made some important changes that will help grow not just chillis and tomatoes – but will also boost ambition and hope.

The dry season farming ripple effect is massive and positive – and long-lasting. I am able to take care of my children’s school. With education, they can get better employment and break the cycle of poverty.

Prosper, dry season farmer, Tanchara Hub

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I faced immense sorrow when I lost my father and mother. In search of work, I turned ’4 @ | to mining, but found hope pe ee when I learned about ATE’s vocational training support. Despite the hardships, I have dreams of a better future for myself and my sister.

~~Apprenticeships: skills, support, hope~~

Jennifer, apprentice seamstress, Tanchara

Giving young women the chance to succeed

In 2024, we took on thirteen new apprentices across a range of trades, enabling the next generation of hairdressers, weavers and seamstresses to learn the skills that will set them up for life. As well as providing equipment, bicycles and paying the training fee, we monitor their progress and ensure they are well-trained and well-treated.

We continued to oversee 26 young women already in training, including covering final exam fees for ten girls completing their training and about to graduate. Among our trainees are nine young women with disabilities, learning a trade and on the way to becoming productive members of their communities.

My journey with ATE began with their support in learning weaving. They provided me with the resources

and guidance I needed to develop my skills. Thanks to their support, I was able to become a master weaver. I am incredibly grateful for their help, as I would not have achieved this without them.

Patricia, former apprentice, now running her own small enterprise

We recently conducted a programme review, with feedback from local stakeholders saying the scheme:

• has a significant positive effect on their communities, especially in empowering girls

• has reduced the rate of teenage pregnancy in their villages because “girls are always engaged”

plays a key role in - could potentially be discouraging girls from expanded to include boys, travelling south to find who otherwise might fall work, where they can into substance abuse, find themselves in migrate south or work in dangerous situations illegal mines

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I’m 20 years old, married and a proud mother of two children. Growing up, I faced a lot of difficulties, which is why I dropped out of school. I had to travel south to wash dishes in a chop bar. It wasn’t easy, but I did what I had to do. Then, I heard about the opportunity that ATE is offering. It felt like a ray of hope, a chance to create a better future for myself and my kids. I’m determined to make the most of it.

Lucy, apprentice hairdresser, 2024 cohort

When I fell pregnant while still at school, I felt like my life was over. I didn’t know how I was going to survive. I thought the only way out was to end it all. Because of ATE, I found strength again. Now I have a trade, a daughter and a dream to one day train other girls in my community.

Vocational training is a brilliant opportunity for girls who have dropped out of school to get their lives back on track. Because we support them through the whole three years, we are then able to offer the chance to set up their own businesses and become the entrepreneurs of the future.

Cynthia, apprentice seamstress, Tanchara

We have already supported 5 former ATE-funded apprentices to launch and grow successful businesses – with many taking on apprentices of their own.

After graduating from their programme, ATE didn’t just leave me to my own devices. They recognised my potential and provided the resources I needed to become a master tailor and benefitting my entire community, thanks to their dedication to my education and continued support.

Millicent, former apprentice, now running her own small business

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~~Growing the team for the future~~

As we take our message of ambition and hope to more people, we need the right team to deliver change. This year, we employed our first staff in Nandom, as well as welcoming new trustees and a Lawra Hub Manager.

We are delighted to announce Chrisantus Dery as the first Hub Manager in Nandom, where he will oversee our work in Nandom Town and our initial rural hub, Ko. Joining him in Nandom is Nyuurbome Rosemond as SNAP co-ordinator.

Recruiting and employing people in a second district has been a fantastic process, ensuring we have a team that are dedicated to and embedded in the communities where we work. The Lawra team has played a key role, taking part in interview panels, training their Nandom colleagues and supporting them during the hub launch.

In Lawra, Umar Abdul-Gafar is doing a brilliant job as manager for our most rural hub in Gombile and Biro, as well as leading our work on apprenticeships. Kanyiri Kuube-isaan, having completed his year of National Service, has become our permanent Impact Manager, which will be crucial as we continue to expand. And Charity Kyekpo is now Deputy Manager in Lawra – continuing to be an inspiration to young women!

I’m excited to contribute my skills and knowledge to this meaningful cause and work towards a brighter future for Lawra. I’m happy to join hands and make a difference together!

Umar Abdul-Gafar, Hub Manager, Gombile and Biro

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Our board of trustees is stronger than ever, with four wonderful new arrivals.

Asif Noorani, who has supported ATE since 2016 and has made several films celebrating our work, brings a wealth of experience from the worlds of charity and business. Sarah Eliot-Cohen has a long record of amazing fundraising work in the charitable sector, notably MacMillan Cancer Support and the Royal Ballet School. As a Ramsbury resident, former schoolteacher Ros Fitton has followed ATE’s growth with keen interest. Her experience working with special needs children and running her own nursery will feed into our SNAP project and HR across the organisation.

We are especially proud and excited that Gabriel Maanibe has become our first Ghanaian trustee. Gabriel was involved in ATE from the beginning, helping to run the first business workshops back in 2013. Since then, he has studied international development in the US and then returned to Lawra to oversee ATE’s work and lead the drive for expansion. He will bring incomparable guidance, expertise and local insight.

It’s been a wonderful journey with ATE from the very start. Having worked in different roles, this gives me the opportunity to bring local understanding, especially in programming that speaks to the real issues of our communities.

Gabriel Maanibe, Trustee

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I always have that dream to fight for the less privileged. I didn’t have the power to fight this fight until I heard of ATE and was made a hub manager. I’m not speaking for me, I’m not speaking for ATE, I’m speaking on behalf of my people. We appreciate. There’s a lot of hope.

Julius Maaire, former Hub Manager

~~Being heard~~

In a historic, heart-lifting night at the House of Lords, Minister of State Andrew Mitchell MP and former ATE Hub Manager Julius Maaire joined forces to launch Action Through Enterprise’s Ambition and Hope campaign.

The reception in March, kindly hosted by Lord Austin, was held in the beautiful River Room, against the backdrop of the Thames. It was probably the first time Dagaare – the local language in Lawra and Nandom – has ever been heard in Parliament, and we’re so proud Action Through Enterprise made it happen. Other fantastic speakers were Sir John Sawers, Lord Austin and Sarah Annable-Gardner, our chief executive. But Julius stole the show when he said “barka, thank you” and showed off his smock, made by one of our VocATE apprentices.

Our Ambition and Hope Appeal raised £67,000, our most successful appeal ever.

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~~Being recognised~~

Our transformational work is being celebrated in Ghana and the UK, with an impressive citation from the Lawra Paramount Chief presented to Lawra and Nandom Manager Kaamil Issahaku and SNAP Coordinator Esther Bekah at October’s Kobine Festival.

Chief Executive, Sarah Annable-Gardner, also received the prestigious Paul Harris Fellowship from the Rotary Club (an honour usually reserved for Rotary members), as well as a commendation in the David Coughtrie Leadership Awards from the Commercial Education Trust.

Your organization’s compassion, expertise and collaborative spirit have made a significant difference in the lives of our people. In recognition of your contribution to poverty reduction and the promotion of social and welfare of the vulnerable, His Royal Majesty and the Chiefs and people of the Lawra Traditional Area honour you with this citation as a show of their gratitude.

Naa Puowele Karbo III, Paramount Chief of the Lawra Traditional Area

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~~Fantastic fundraising~~

It’s a huge thank you to everyone who has gone the extra mile for us this year, showing there are so many different ways - not just sponsored runs! - to raise the vital funds to bring Ambition and Hope to Upper West Ghana.

Special recognition to Izzy Tolputt, who raised awareness around period poverty - and the funds to buy more than 300 packets of sanitary pads. Pupils at Churcher’s School, Petersfield, raised enough money on their Non-Uniform Day to feed pupils at Nanyaare Junior High for a whole term. Dee Anderson ran a brilliant soup evening, another supporter did a match funding campaign for a big birthday. There are SO many ways to raise funds – what could you do in 2025?

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~~Financial summary~~

In my career as a diplomat serving in Africa and the Middle East, I have never come across a small NGO that has made such a substantial impact with so few resources. ATE offers extraordinary value for money.

Our 2024 income was £281,595. This represents 15% growth - an achievement to be proud of, particularly against a backdrop of decreasing support for international development and a cost-of-living crisis. Our expenditure was £274,575: up 8% from 2023. Our careful spending, which protected our reserves in a year of growth, represents huge value for money, bringing incredible impact for a growing number of beneficiaries.

Sir John Sawers, former UK Ambassador to the UN and Chief of MI6

Action Through Enterprise Income & Expenditure

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£300,000
£250,000
£200,000
£150,000
£100,000
£50,000
£-
2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024
Income Expenditure
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Out of every £1 you donate:

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84p
goes directly towards
project costs in Ghana
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11p
is spent on fundraising
5p
is spent on
administration costs
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~~Ambition and Hope: Lawra, Nandom and beyond...~~

2025 promises to be an even BIGGER year for Action Through Enterprise. We’ll be continuing the Nandom roll out, switching on the internet for a whole generation and building to our biggest fundraising event ever. We hope you can join us for the journey …

We talk a lot about ‘Ambition and Hope’ – and in 2025 those words will become reality for thousands more people.

In January, we’ll begin serving lunch at Tuopare Junior High School – giving its 91 pupils the chance to learn on full stomachs, boosting their prospects and their families’. We’ll launch a second disability group in Nandom district, with the mission of getting 100 disabled children into school by 2026. And across Nandom and Lawra, we’ll back 32 businesses and farmers and get 20 young people into apprenticeships – bringing new skills and income into families and communities.

Our Lawra and Nandom Inclusion Centres will open Technology and Learning Zones, with computer suites and libraries. Getting connected to the internet will be a game-changer.

This increased ambition requires, of course, increased funds – and we are beyond grateful to Tim Eliot-Cohen, who is hosting the Hilldrop Charity Shoot and Festival in May, to raise money for us. It promises to be a wonderful event and a welcome boost to income in challenging times for international development.

We’ll need every penny, because in 2026 we’ll be selecting a third district to bring ambition, hope - and transformational change.

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Get Involved

We are so grateful to everyone who supports us.

If you’re interested in finding out more about getting involved with Action Through Enterprise, please reach out to us!

Website www.ateghana.org

Email [e-mail]

Phone [phone]

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Like a ray of hope from the light of a candle, in a decade of gold standard operations in the Upper West Region, ATE has brought about a positive and impactful social change. The relations between friendly countries and allies blossom through people-people, community relations; the relationships between the people of Lawra and the village of Ramsbury in the UK initiated by the ATE is an excellent example of this.

Mawutor Alifo, Acting Head of Mission, Ghana High Commission, London

They always give us the things we need, as a girl. I will also try my best to become a midwife, so that I will go back to my village and help my village people. That’s my dream. Action Through Enterprise, it has changed my life and I’ve been motivated to go to school, and now I am in the university.

Dapilah Lucy, supported by ATE through junior and senior high school, and now at university

Website

Facebook

www.ateghana.org facebook.com/ATEGhana Email Instagram [e-mail] @ateghana Phone Twitter [phone] @ATEGhana

Action Through Enterprise FINANCIAL STATEMENTSFOR THE YEAK ENDED 31st Decembei2024 INCOME & EXPENDITURE ACCOUNT Total Vnrestrlcted Restrlrted Total Unre5trlcted R•strltted Funds Funds Funds Year to Yearto Year to 31 De£ernber2024 31 Decomber 2024 31 December 20Z4 Fund$ F¥nd$ Yearto Year to Year to 31 Decomb•r 2023 31 December 2023 310ecember zoza Funds Income Cèmpal8ni D0#4tlon$ Monthly5t•ndln¥ ord•rs Grants HMRC tax r•funds To L*wra Wlth Lov• ttymm15510ft Interest ro￿1¥0￿ Total Retolpts 35,349 86,960 30.507 107,791 18,091 100 2,795 281,595 35,349 86,960 30,507 18,658 18,091 loo 2.79S 192,460 13,337 ?8,131 27,357 110,382 12,694 300 1,950 244,151 13.337 76.131 17.357 23,000 12,694 300 1,950 156,769 89,135 97,182 89,135 B7,382 Ex endlture Prolett Colts Edu(ATE 8lzATE VOCATE Dry Se8son Flrmlni SNAP 107.900 20.754 17.264 19,999 65,49J 75,371 17,485 10,529 12,342 36,034 32,529 3,269 6,735 7,657 29A56 112,B47 21,825 13,747 ID,816 40,181 58,379 6.523 5,347 5,995 35,830 64,468 15,301 8,400 4,821 4,351 Tolal prol•tt costs 231,407 151,761 79,646 209,416 112,074 97,342 Admlnl$tr•tlve Coiti Fundralsln8 Investment Chortty Inlrastucture and mHna8ement costs Total admlnl$tratl¥• cost$ 29.004 14,163 43.167 24,249 12,787 37,036 4,755 1,376 6,131 27,231 17,302 44,533 27,231 13,702 40,933 Total ENp•ndlture 274.574 188,797 85.777 253.949 153,007 100,942 Excess/lDeflclt) of Income over expendlture 7,021 3,663 3,358 19,7981 3,762 113,5601 Pile lofs

Action Through Enterprise FINANCIAL STATEMENTSFOR fME YEAR ENDED 31st Decembei2024 STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABILITES as at 31st December 2024 Total Llnrestrlrted Re5trlcted Total Unrestrlcted Restricted Funds Funds Funds 31 December 2024 31 December 2024 310etember 1024 Funds Fund5 F￿ndS 31 December 2023 31 December 2023 31 December 2023 Assets UK current account UK depo$lt account 60 Day Notlce account IC•mbrldq¢ & Countle5 8ankl 120 Day Notlce account IHampshlrèTrust B•nkl GhaNa turrent account C•sh held In Gh8na 36.151 21.994 2S.084 7S,000 4,456 748 15.216 40.246 25.084 ?5,￿)0 Total A55ets 163,433 156,412 Total Fund Value 163.433 154,075 9,358 156.412 ISO,412 6,000 The èttè¢hed notlilorm partoltheso Ilnan¢lal 8tot8m•nli. Approv•d by the trustee5 on i 4 MA 1 2 0 2> nd slgned on thelr beh411 byA$lf N¢Joranl Ichalrl and Andr¢w Rliehle ITreasurerl Pase 2of5

Action Through Enterprise FINANCIAL STA TEMENfsFOR THE YEAR ENDED 315t 0ECEMbER 2024 NOTEStotheaccownts l. Theseflnancialststemer)ts have be8n prepared on the recelpts and payments basls, 2. Overall, Income Intreased bylS41 compared lo the prevSousyear, re3chln8 a total of £281,595. Expendlture Increased by 89b lo £274,574, resultlng In a 5vrpluslorthe year £7.021, 3. Gralli incorne remalned 8t a sm11arly high levela5 Inihe prevlou$year, and Incom•irom campalgns 81rnosttrebied due to 8 doubllng of Income trom rhe Bi8Glve catllP8lgn and theAmbltlon and Hope campaignthai ralsed over£17,000. Thls campaign was ba58d on Artion Through Enterprlses. IATE'S) 8mbitloM 10 expand operatlons Into the adjacent Nandom disirict. Incomefrom corporate spon5eis In¢r8ased by 28%10 £47,000, malnlyduetothe su¢¢esslul Gamma 8all Rally. Generally, other Income streams were malnl8lned 81 slmliai leveLstOlhe prevlous year, 311hough Incometrom Runner51Challenges decllned afterthe success of the maraihons In the prevlous year. Raclalmed taxfroTh Government Increased as did monihlycontiltSUllon5 Irom ourregular supporters. together wllh Intere5tlncome, Oue io the higher Ini8re$t lales av£llable from Ihe banks. 4. AS In 2018when the Lawra Inclu$lon Centre was bullt, we have Included the COS15 a550¢1aiedwlth ttte development olthe Nandotn Incluslon Centre la1rn051 £18.OODI In SNAP project costs, as this is the prlmary u$è of the bulldings. Thls,108ether wllh additional slaNln the Nandom distilct, account for the c05t Incre8$e In 2024. Dry Season Farmln8 remained an Important prolecttorATE thè Increa5Ed co$lS rellecied the 8rant$1É8,S001 Élven In Decemberto newl?rms In ffve dlllerent hub5. Increased co$t5 In IheVocATE piolect5 rellecled the expan$lon ol the programme, with more apprentl¢o3hlp$ supported. Co$is In the E¢u¢ATE piolètt remalnett ata 5imil8r levelto the prevlous year. EducATf lsATE'5 bl8gest project, IncludSngieedifig hundred$ ol chlldrèn everyday, In 2024, we wèrè able10 achlevè betiervaluelor monèy when purch8s1n8lood for the schools and IhI3was Ihe malorlactor inihe de¢re8se In expenditure. 5, TotalBdmlnlstraifva coslswere kept beiowlhe valuB of the pievlousyeai and 8c¢ounted lor 15.3% Of Income117.S% ia$tye8rl. Fundr31slng costs decr&ased10 IQ.3% 01 Income 111,2%18StyEarl. Chaiityinlrasiruciuieand management cosis d?cie3sed by £3,000. iarg81ydueiOOUI lormer Gen&ral Manager In Ghana leavlng, belng repi4ced bvèn exlstlnE •mployee In Ghana. Thls resulted In thi16 costs deeieaglngios.o%of Incom•17,1% last yeail. 6, UK based employee5, payro11¢0515 aré aliocat8dtothe ch8r1￿ble pioSects, lundialslnganu admlnlstratlon In proportlon 10 rhe tlme spent on these actlvltle$. As lorlhè prevlous y&ar, the Chlef Execuiivewès ￿mUneratOd lor3.6 do￿Work perweek8nd ¥penl 60%01the tlme worklngon prolecis, 25% ontundfalslngand 15% on ATE'S admlni51rallon. The Pro8rarnmes and Impact Manèger spènt 100% olthe tlrne worklngonATE's prolecis and no Ilme on lundl8151ngor man8gement and admlnlslrallon, This piolecttSme was split 33% EducATE, 16% BlzATE,9%VocATE, 9% Dryseason Farrnln8. 33% SNAP. The A(Jmlnlstraiion 8nd Flngnce Ofllcer spent 100gb of the tSme 8dmlnlsti8tlng projects gnd generalodmlnlsiratlon wa5 han¢led bythe Chlof Ex8cLrtlve ATE used a professlonal ¢on5ultanito manage exiornal communlcatlons and a150 ddve the fundraislngetlort ISO%ISO%I The Dliector ol Operatlons baseo In Ghana again Spent 20% 01 the tlrne on EducATE, 30%on BIIATE, IO%on VOCATE, IO% on Dry Season Farmlng, 15% on SNAPoperatlon5 and IS% on maDagemeni and adrnlni51ration In Ghana. However. he left arthe bÈginninE of March and the former SNAP manager look over hrs rE5ponslblllte5 (nanaÉingall proj&ci are8S a$well asthe5NAP piogramme,wlth 15% of the tltne spent on man3gEefflent and &dminlstratlDn In Ghana. Page3of5

Action Through Enterprise FINANCIAL STA TEMENTSFOR THE YEARENDED 31st DECEMBER2024 NOTEStothe accounts Ic¢ntlnuedl 7.ATE started operaiions in Nandom1n 2024 and bythe enl of Iheyeai had Increased the projectteams lo 16 people. In addlllon, we employed 23cooks In thevarlou$ schoo15' kitchens. Allthe Ghanalan siatt, includlng Ihe cooks, recelved Ihe full benefit5 of belng regui3remployee$, IncludlngTier 2ernpioyertoniilbutionsto their 5ts1e pension5 where appll¢able, wilh personal penslons. ATEwork5 Wlth the Petra Trust to manage allchanaian based $iaff'5 pensionfunds. 8. ATE usually alms to use resirlcted funds ImmedSately, go they are ofien used Inthe ye8r theyaie don8ted. but sometimes th8y areglven ttsward5 the ènd olthe y08r8nd therefore have to be carrled over to the folLowlngyeai. £89,135 Iostrlcted tunis wer& recèived In 2024 and £6,OOOw8re biouEht lorward from the prevlousyear. The tunds brought lorward from 2023w8re us8d In 2024, and Ihere was a ioialol E9,358 01 va￿0￿5 resirlcted donarlon carrled fonNard102025, These are likelyto be used In early 2025. 9. Th8 charlly'stotal lunds b818nc& Incr8asedto £163,433 al the trnd of the year. Th1515 agalfi egvlvaleni lo 7 months, gxpen¢ftur8 based onihe cost Df operatlon$ In 2024. The Iru5tees belleve that regerves of at least 6 months 8re vll81 In orderto malnt8ln the lotigierrn vlabiiiiyol tne programmes Supported byAciion Tttlougii Enterprise. Page40f5

Action Through Enterprise FINANCIAL sfATEMENTSFOR THE YEAR ENDED 31st DECEMOER 2024 Independent Examlner's Report to the trustees of Artlon Through Enterprise I report on the accounls lorthe year endeLl3lsÈ December 2024whlch are set outon pages 1104. Respective responslblllties of trustees and examiner The chailty'5 tru5tee5 arè respDn51ble loi the prep8rarion ol th£ accounts.The charty's iiust885 conslder thai an audlt Is notrequlred forth15 year und8r 5ectloll 144121 of the CharitiesAci 2011 (the 2011Actl that an Independfjnt exarninaiion15 needed. examlne the accounts undersectlon 145 olthe 2011Act'. to IDllowthe procedures18ld down Inthegeneial Dlrectlons 8fven bythe Charlty Comrnlsslon under se￿50n 1451Sllbl of the 2011 Act.. and to slate whether paitlculaf matters hsve come to myalteniion. Basls of Independent examlner's report Myexamiii8llDn was cairled out In accordance Ylth Iht gelleral Dlrectlons 8lven bylhe Charlty Comm15510n. An examlnatlon in¢lude5 a ievlewollhe accounllng record5 kep¢by the chHriiyand a compailson otthe accounrs prpseni¢d ￿th those ie¢ords. li 8150 Includescon51deratlon ol any unu5ualltems or tt1sc105uresln the a¢count5, and 58eklng 8XPlanatlonslromyou a$trustee5 ¢onceinln8 anysuch matiers. The proredure$ undertaken do not provld8 allthe evldence th81 Would be rvqulred In an audlt and con$8quently no oplnlon Is g￿en asto wheiiei th• a¢cDunts present a'true and lalivlew and the report Is Ilmltedtothose matters Set OLrt In Ihe statement bèlow. Independent examlner's statement In connectlonwSth rnyexamlnatlon, no rnattei ha$como io my atieniion.. 111 whlch glves me reasonable cause lo belleve that In anymaterlèl respett the requliemtnts.. to keep aceountlngrecoid$ In accordancewlth 59Ctlon 130 olthe 2011A¢t', and to prepare accountswhlch ac¢ordwllh the a¢¢ountlngrecord5 and ¢omplywlth the accountlng iequlrements of the 2011 ACL ave noi been met., or 121 towhlch, In oplnlon, attentlon should be drawn In order to enable a properunderstandln4 Otlhe gccountsto bè reached. Stephen Sherm8n FCA 10. Buidetl Slreet, Ramsbury,Wllt5. Date.. Po825otS

Changing lives through education, enterprise and inclusion

THE ESSENTIALS (as of 31[st] December 2024)

Action Through Enterprise

5 Popham Close Hungerford RG17 0WG

Registration number

1149988

Action Through Enterprise is governed by its constitution adopted in 2012 and updated in line with Charity Commission guidance.

The Board of Trustees is responsible for the overall strategic direction, policy, and oversight of the charity’s operations. Trustees delegate day-to-day responsibility to the Chief Executive, supported by a UK-based team and a local operations team in Ghana.

Trustees are recruited based on the skills and experiences needed by the Board. New trustees are identified through a combination of professional networks, recommendations, and open recruitment. All new trustees are provided with an induction pack and undergo orientation, including a visit to ATE's programme sites in Ghana when possible.

Board of Trustees

Nathalie Burdett – Chair

Priyanka Devani Sarah Eliot-Cohen Ros Fitton Nigel Henham Gabriel Maanibe Asif Noorani Andrew Ritchie Suki Ritchie Susan Suchopar Peter Willetts Jacob Winter

Custodian trustee

ATE does not hold any funds as a custodian trustee on behalf of other organisations.

Registered UK Charity Number: 1149988

www.ateghana.org